THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Distribution: Puget Sound to central Baja, but
rare north of California.
Habitat: Bottom-dweller, usually between
30–45 m, though occasionally deeper.
Appearance: 4–5 whitish blotches bordered by
purple on the back; reddish to purple mottling
on back, sides red, whitish below. Unlike the
Starry Rockfish, is not covered with white
dots. A relatively small rockfish; max. length:
36 cm.
Reproduction and Development: Livebearer.
Yelloweye Rockfish
Sebastes ruberrimus (Sebastidae/Scorpaenidae)
Rockfishes
Distribution: Eastern Pacific: Gulf of Alaska
to northern Baja California.
Habitat: Rocky reefs and boulder fields from
15–475 m.
Appearance: Color: orange red to orange
yellow, eye bright yellow; fins often with black
tips; adults with light to white stripe on lateral
line, juveniles (as in our exhibit) with 2 light
stripes, one on the lateral line and a shorter one
below. Max. length: 1 m; weight: 18 kg.
Diet: Fishes and crustaceans.
Reproduction and Development: Viviparous,
like all rockfishes,
Mortality/Longevity: Yelloweyes are among
the longest lived of rockfishes, living up to 118
years old!
Conservation Status: Survey data is not up
to date, but today few yelloweye rockfish are
being caught, suggesting a low population
level.
Yelloweye is now given the highest priority for
tracking catches, and is a federally-designated
“overfished species” of special concern because
of its slow growth, late maturation and long
life. Federal studies suggest that yelloweye
rockfish stocks will not recover to former levels
for over 70 years.
Flag Rockfish
Sebastes rubrivinctus (Sebastidae/Scorpaenidae)
Rockfishes and Scorpionfishes
Distribution: Eastern Pacific: San Francisco,
California, USA to Cape San Quentin, Baja
California.
Habitat: Depth to 300 m. Juveniles shallower.
California Academy of Sciences
131
Adults typically solitary and shelter in and
around rocks, large sea anemones, ledge overhangs
and in kelp.
Appearance: Length to 64 cm. Deep, fusiform,
compressed. Adult colored white-pinkish with
4 dark red-orange to reddish-brown bars across
back and base of tail. Bars darker on juveniles.
Diet: Benthic predators of crabs and hermit
crabs, shrimps, fishes, octopuses.
Reproduction and Development: Fertilization
internal. Livebearer.
Mortality/Longevity: Live to at least 18
years.
Remarks: A popular sportfish.
Sebastes is Greek for “magnificent.” Rubrivinctus
is formed from 2 Latin words that translate as
“red banded.”
Treefish
Sebastes serriceps (Sebastidae/Scorpaenidae)
Rockfishes and Scorpionfishes
Distribution: San Francisco to central Baja
California.
Habitat: Inhabits areas with numerous caves,
crevices and other protective recesses. Solitary
and territorial; usually found between 6–40 m
with a maximum depth of 45 m.
Appearance: One of the most striking, unusually
marked rockfishes, with black stripes over
a yellow body and red lips and chin. Compact
body with large head spines. Spines are venomous.
Maximum size is 40 cm.
Diet: Most probably either crepuscular (feeding
at dawn and dusk) or nighttime ambush predator,
feeding on shrimp, crabs and small fishes.
Reproduction and Development: Viviparous.
Red Lionfish
Pterois volitans (Scorpaenidae)
Scorpionfishes and Their Allies
Distribution: West-central Pacific; introduced
in the Atlantic.
Habitat: Lagoon and seaward reefs from turbid
inshore areas to depths greater than 50 m. Typically
rests during the day under ledges.
Appearance: Length to 38 cm. Compressed
body with a large head. Greatly enlarged pectoral
fins and elongate dorsal fins. Vertically
colored brownish bars interspersed with fine
white lines.